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Intellect Books - John Berra

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158 pages

English

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American independent cinema has gained mainstream popularity in recent years as audiences tire of the bloated, clichéd spectacle of Hollywood films. But how independent are these movies? As John Berra contends in Declarations of Independence, the supposedly alternative film scene employs the same production techniques as its Hollywood counterparts and may find an uncritical audience in fans looking to attach personal sentiments and social reference points to art forms. This provocative volume questions the autonomy of independent film, asking if it is possible for a unique filmic vision to thrive in an industry of mass production.

Sujets

Cinéma

Cinema

Film

ART

American

General

Media studies

General officer

History of art

América

Película fotográfica

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Publié par	Intellect Books
Date de parution	01 mars 2008
Nombre de lectures	0
EAN13	9781841502182
Langue	English

Informations légales : prix de location à la page 0,1600€. Cette information est donnée uniquement à titre indicatif conformément à la législation en vigueur.

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Declarations of Independence:
American Cinema and the Partiality of Independent Production
John Berra
Declarations of Independence:
American Cinema and the Partiality of Independent Production
John Berra
First Published in the UK in 2008 by Intellect Books, The Mill, Parnall Road, Fishponds, Bristol, BS16 3JG, UK
First published in the USA in 2008 by Intellect Books, The University of Chicago Press, 1427 E. 60th Street, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
Copyright 2008 Intellect Ltd
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission.
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
Cover Design: Gabriel Solomons Copy Editor: Holly Spradling Typesetting: Mac Style, Nafferton, E. Yorkshire
ISBN 978-1-84150-185-7/EISBN 978-1-84150-218-2
Printed and bound by Gutenberg Press, Malta.
C ONTENTS
Acknowledgements
Chapter One Genesis: Modern American Independent Cinema and its Position within an Industry of Mass Production
Chapter Two Ancestry of Independence : Easy Rider and the Declaration of a New American Cinema
Chapter Three The Art of the Possible: Hollywood Feature Film Production since 1970
Chapter Four Oppositional Fantasies: The Economic Structure of American Independent Cinema and its Essential Lineaments
Chapter Five Loyalty to the Rhetoric: Four American Film-makers and their Commitment to an Autonomous Mode of Cultural Production
Chapter Six Graduating Class: American Independent Cinema as Finishing School
Chapter Seven A Cultural Comparison: British Independent Cinema and its Relation to its American Counterpart
Chapter Eight Selective Exhibition: The Sundance Film Festival and its Significance to the Independent Sector
Chapter Nine The Business of Art: Miramax Films and the Cultivation of the Niche Market
Chapter Ten The Reception of an Alternative Americana: Audiences and American Independent Cinema
Bibliography
Index
A CKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would like to give thanks to a number of people, without whom this book would not have been possible. To Professor Fred Inglis, for his guidance, friendship, and support throughout what has been a challenging and fascinating process. To my wife, Meng Yan, for the love and stability she has brought to my life and for her ever-valuable external perspective on a very specific area of research. To my parents, Paul and Janet, my sister Rebecca, and my grandmother Doreen, for their continued encouragement of my chosen path. To Yan s parents, Meng Zhaoquan and Wang Tieli, for their acceptance of me into their family and culture. I hope that this text provides fresh insight into a socially prominent sector of cultural production, and I welcome any discussion that arises from its publication.
1
G ENESIS : M ODERN A MERICAN I NDEPENDENT C INEMA AND ITS P OSITION WITHIN AN I NDUSTRY OF M ASS P RODUCTION
Independent adj 1 Free from influence or control of others. 2 not dependent on anything else for function or validity. 3 not relying on the support, esp. financial support, of others. 1
Cinema n 1 A place designed for showing films. 2 the cinema the art or business of making films. 2
It is debatable as to whether a genuine American independent cinema exists in the new millennium, a debate which this study will enter into in due course. What is not debatable is that the term American independent cinema not only exists, but carries with it a variety of meanings, associations, and expectations of both an artistic and commercial nature. A by-product of society s constant need to assign labels to, and invent categories for, all forms of cultural expression and enterprise, the term American independent cinema has been used to describe both a mode of production, and a form a thinking, relating to the financing, filming, distribution and cultural appreciation of modern film. It is a term which is suggestive of the classic argument of the relationship between art and commerce, the patronage of the artist by the economically well-endowed sponsor, and yet also indicative of a thoroughly modern sense of artistic enterprise, as rapidly developing technology opens up a variety of opportunities for fledgling film-makers and ambitious entrepreneurs. The term American independent cinema is also suggestive of a romantic vision of filmic productivity, alluding to work that exists within a great narrative tradition, yet is presented within the context of a modern art form, and has been created autonomously, without the interference of other parties. The question here is whether such a form of cultural production is sustainable. As Bourdieu dryly notes,
At a given level of autonomy, intellectuals are, other things being equal, proportionately more responsive to the seduction of the powers that be, the less well endowed they are with specific capital. 3
This is to say that, when art meets, or conflicts, with economy, the artist is more willing to compromise their ideals when faced with the lure of financial reward, or the overarching economic power of the corporate giants. Recent commentators such as Caves have argued that it is possible for autonomy and economy to co-exist:
The basic structural characteristics of creative industries - their technologies of production and consumption - fiercely resist governance by anything approaching a complete contrast. Yet they have evolved distinctive and serviceable contract forms that seem to differ from deal-making patterns prevalent in other sectors. 4
Caves is referring to the romantic ideal of the artist and sponsor, whose relationship is both mutually exclusive and beneficial and this is the root of the paradox that lies at the heart of film-making, and independent cinema in particular. The main benefit of the motion picture is its status as a cultural product of mass consumption, but such cultural products can only be regarded as artistic or independent works if their creators are to be allowed absolute autonomy. In order for all the opportunities, particularly those of an economic nature, to be realized, compromises with regard to the autonomy of the artist, or director, may have to be enforced and endured. It is this tension between the needs or the artist and the demands of the market, and its most prominent suppliers, which will form the crux of this study.
1.1 The Aims and Objectives of the Study
(1) To disprove the popular assumption amongst commercial journalists and consumers of popular culture, that cinematic works that have been declared as, or critically assigned the status of, independent , are autonomous of corporate sponsorship, or influence from other forms of popular media. This study will systematically outline the theory that American independent cinema is dependent on corporate sponsorship in the form of the Hollywood studios and this theory will be supported by economic and intertextual evidence, provided by references to specific feature films and how they have conformed to the system of mass production, in terms of their conception, technical construction, marketing, and distribution. In addition, this study will seek to place American independent cinema within a theoretic framework to show its relation to, and dependence on, the corporate giants, before questioning if the nature of this relationship is actually one of co-dependency.
(2) To redefine what can be meant by the term modern American independent cinema in the new millennium, through a discussion of its moral economy, methods of production and distribution, and the qualities of the films themselves. While the status of many films as being independent from an economic standpoint may be found to be impossible to substantiate due to their ties with the corporate giants, it will be of interest to attach such films to moments of popular feeling and periods of industrial change, thereby setting them apart from the more commercial cinematic offerings that are popularly associated with the Hollywood production line. This will be an analysis of what has become known as the independent spirit , a description that has recently been applied to film-makers who are considered to be true to their own cinematic visions, whilst also seeking sponsorship from corporate organizations.
(3) To establish whether creative autonomy can actually exist within the system of mass production. This will entail an analysis of Hollywood s absorption of the independent sector through reference to film-makers, the qualities of their work, the conditions under which it is created, and how it has been received by the audience.
1.2 The Social-Economic Background of the Study
Although the economics of feature film production and of mass entertainment in general, have previously been discussed in detail in an academic context, the industry sector that is American independent cinema has been generally overlooked by scholars who have focussed on this particular form of modern media. If that has been discussed at all, as in Garnham and Wasko, it has been as an aside or a footnote to a bigger picture, its economic and social practices only coming in discussion when they are aligned with those of the corporate giants. Garnham acknowledges the existence of independent production, but divides it into two categories, one that ultimately becomes the product of the corporations in that it gets picked up by the major distributors after completion , 5 and another that is aimed at specialized markets , 6 examples of which he cites as being nature films and soft porn . Wasko only occasionally references independent film production, focussing largely on Hollywood and its dominance of the entertainment industry. In keeping with her key theme, she mentions independent cinema in industrial, but never cultural, context and does so as a means of emphasizing the economic power of the Holl